I’m no radiohead connoisseur or fanboy, but, any and all incarnations of “Climbing Up the Walls” then, now and forever shall be their magnus opus. Simple and direct, whether stripped bare as the public debut of the song, the most familiar as on OK, Computer to more textured grandiose deliveries, and methods in between, “Climbing Up the Walls” is absolutely commanding.
Unveiling… “I am the key to the lock in your house…”
upon release, “That keeps your toys in the basement” :
“And if you get too far inside:”
“You'll only see my reflection:”
“It's always best when the covers up…”
“I am the pick in the ice….”
“Do not cry out or hit the alarm…”
“You know we're friends till we die…”
“And either way you turn I’ll be there…”
“Climbing up the Walls” always reminds me of serial killer Dennis Andrew Nilsen. For obvious reasons not as much as Swans “Killing for Company, ” given that is the title of the Brian Masters book on Nilsen which remains a fascinating read as the killer cooperated with Masters and granted interviews and written documents.
IRM/Skin Area’s Martin Bladh has a peculiar fascination with Nilsen and has recently released an expanded version DES: The Theater of Death on Infinity Land Press.
David Tennant as Denis Nilson in the limited series DES…
Recently, a little more than the past calendar year, on Netflix the documentary Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes shares some of his recorded interviews. Very lucid and absolutely sinister.
Doubling back to radiohead, Shedfromthebody covers “Nude.” More importantly, there is a new EP of doomgaze dream pop which feels as if Cranes were covered in molasses and tar. There are some amazing vocal twists and arrangements in particular during “Lungs.” Musically this isn’t as oppressive as the slower gloom and doomed out material To Hold The Ripened Sun and A Dead and Aimless Hum share since there is additional uptempo push which lends itself to having a slight Dead Register feel with its bass driven, hypno rhythm crush. All in all, a fantastic short release from Finland’s “one woman, spooky baby, band.”
Another EP worth noting that has been released this week comes from Jambinai. Not far removed from the foundations they’ve made since their inception, but, such a force of nature. 4 songs that run the gamut from Pink Floyd to Explosions in the Sky and Godspeed! You Black Emperor. Maximum peaks and valleys, push/pull dynamics, tension and catharsis in a collision of traditional Korean instrumentation with contempory (post) rock band guitar, drum, bass set-up.
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